Caroline Brooks DuBoisCritiques

I think this book is great for middle grade readers. Very sweet and straightforward with a message of hope pinning it together.

I took up this book because I was really attracted to the amazing artwork on the cover as well as the book title. But this book turned out to be something completely different from what I had expected. I DNFed this book at 30% because this book just wasn't for me. I will like to appreciate the book layout though.

A nice look at the events around 9-11, but it never went quite deep enough for me. And there were a lot of side plot lines going on, but I suppose that's what middle school is all about. Life hits you from many different angles.

Abbey is an Army kid, needs to find new friends as she starts a new school but is facing more than just that. Not only has 9/11 hit her family hard, but she's facing her own changes, bullying, and first romance.

This book is written in prose and is well done. The author flows through the thoughts, situations, events, emotions, and heart-ache with beautiful finesse. It hits the gut and allows Abbey's feelings to come across in ways that usual story-telling simply can't achieve. And this is a deep book, which hits upon many difficult themes.

Abbey does find a wonderful friend with this new school, but with the new friendship, there's also bullying. I did find this area stumbling on cliche as Abbey and her friend bonk heads with a trio of popular, mean girls. That they bullied Abbey's best friend for being overly athletic and not interested in boys was a new take, handled pretty harsh, but will resonate with some readers. The friendship was inspiring and did pull out the heart-strings until the last page.

While this book is beautifully written and runs deep, it's going to target a very specific type of reader. The prose weighs a little heavy, mostly since the other characters really don't receive the depth they'd need to keep up with Abby. Also, the plot end suffers a little, since this one is more an exploration of Abby's innermost workings as she tries to steer through the complexities of the changes in her life as well as the troubles facing her family thanks to the loss of a loved one. It's a book for upper middle graders, who love to dive into feelings, and that for three-hundred pages, which even for me, meant a few breaks to get through. It wouldn't have been something I would have picked up at that age, but there were one or two girls I knew who would have.

I do enjoy the style and respect how this book takes this type of prose to a younger audience. There will be readers who truly enjoy diving into it and exploring their own feelings at the same time, and those will enjoy accompanying Abbey as she steers through life.

I received an ARC and found this to be an interesting read.

Twelve year old Abbey is starting the school year at a new school once again. This time she is in Tennessee and her school is farther from her father's Army base than usual. Abbey has also managed to make a friend in happy and athletic Camille. She might even make friends with the artistic and cool Jiman. Then, September 11, 2001 comes. Abbey wakes up with her first menstrual cycle along with the news that will change her life forever. Once the news hits, Abbey's mother rushes to New York, her sister Rebecca is missing. Abbey is left with her father, her new body and a new world to navigate. As time passes, Abbey's father is deployed, and kids change their opinion about her at school, all the while her body keeps on schedule, slowly marking the months.
Uniquely written in narrative verse, The Places We Sleep beautifully captures the thoughts of a preteen experiencing the trauma of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The writing immediately took me back to that day that connected so many of us across the country in fear. Just like Abbey, the day has been cemented in my mind. The verse perfectly captures the raw emotion at the time paralleled with coming of age. Through Abbey's eyes there is a deep look at the grief, depression and confusion that defined the months following the attacks. Between Abbey's Aunt, parents, and classmates there is a wide cross section of representation of how people reacted and were effected by many aspects of 9/11. Abbey shows that while an event may seem defining, the support of friendship and love can help you through.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book for free from Books Forward in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by this book because it centers on 9/11. I was only 6 years old when it happened so I never truly felt the magnitude of it.

This book did an amazing job detailing how 9/11 rocked everyone’s world. You saw how 12 year old Abbey felt. You saw how her mom reacted to finding out her sister went missing during the attack. You saw her dad’s military response to it. You saw how regular civilians felt about the possibility of war. You saw racial prejudices exhibited by Abbey’s classmates to a fellow student. The book covered a range of experiences.

This is a novel in verse so the entire book was written in poetry. As a whole, I thought the poems were well done. However, I would have loved if the poems had titles. Instead, they were numbered. Sometimes titles can help enhance the poem and create a bigger impact. But on the flip side, having no titles made the book more novel like. It reads very smoothly because of that. At times, it didn’t even feel like you’re were reading poetry because you get sucked into the story.

Plot-wise, I wanted a little more, especially towards the end. I wanted there to be a little more development with some of the supporting characters. Even though this book centers on 9/11, it is also a coming of age story. One of the things that gets explored is periods. I am happy that this book did not shy away from showing girls getting their period for the first time.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the American reaction to 9/11. This book is aimed towards middle grade readers but can still be enjoyed by adults.